Patterns of returning passengers?

[whole diary]

[IndustryInsider]

The more important figure is the number wearing them on trains rather than at stations.  Do we know what that is?  There’s no doubting it has dropped since rules were relaxed.

[PhilWakely]

I spent a mad day yesterday (21/09/2021) chasing that over-hyped, yet serious cash-cow for the NRM^» (National Railway Museum, at York and Shildon - about) (aka the Flying Scotsman) on its tour to Salisbury and Southampton - travelling up from Pinhoe on the first Up train of the day (05:19) and returning back from Salisbury at 17:54. Visiting such places as Basingstoke, Hook, Fleet, Winchfield, Salisbury, Romsey and Eastleigh.

What struck me was that 'local' commuting (into Salisbury, Basingstoke and Southampton) appeared to be pretty much back to normal levels, whilst London-bound folk were few and far between. The Romsey circle train (16:20 from Eastleigh to Salisbury via Redbridge - a 2-car 158) was full and standing. Even that first Up train from Pinhoe (a 3-car 159) had pretty much every seat occupied between Gillingham and Salisbury (SAL arrival at 07:10) and between Grateley and Basingstoke (BSK^▸ (Brake Standard Corridor (carriage)) arrival at 07:58). 

What scared me though was that very few folk bothered with face masks - I counted just three in my carriage on that Romsey circle train.

[TaplowGreen]

The more important figure is the number wearing them on trains rather than at stations.  Do we know what that is?  There’s no doubting it has dropped since rules were relaxed.

According to Network Rail yesterday (article in the Telegraph), the figure is around 20%.

Certainly seemed about right on a trip I took yesterday, although much higher on the Underground from what I observed.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/09/22/20pc-people-wearing-masks-public-transport-since-july-19/?utm_content=telegraph&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=Echobox&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1632309919

[froome]

From my recent travels, my impression is rates of mask wearing on trains differs greatly by region. Here, on trains I've been on around Bath, I would say the majority of passengers are still wearing masks, maybe 60-70%. On journeys I've been making down through Hampshire to Sussex over the last couple of months, mask wearing right through the summer there was much lower, just a minority on every train I was on.

Recently we've had a week in Wales, where mask wearing is still supposed to be mandatory on trains, and mask wearing rates on those trains appeared to be lower than on the trains around here. I noted on one train I was on, travelling from Crewe to Bangor, that when it crossed the border an announcement was made to the effect that as we are now in Wales, wearing a mask is mandatory. Not a single one of the majority of the passengers I saw who were maskless put one on, and rates remained low throughout the journey.

[grahame]

A discussion at last night's Town Council about returning passengers - or a lack of them, and the need for interim cafe funding - sent me scurrying down to the station. I'm very relieved that the trains were busy, even before the cafe opened and there was a chance to - one again - take pictures of a busy "rush hour" pickup - http://grahamellis.uk/blog272.html

I am noticing some differences - passenger numbers in the peak are not far off what they were before (they may even be better), but the off peak train was a bit sad.  Perhaps because it's a miserable, wet day during term time.  And the car park, formerly with perhaps 15 to 20 cars parked 2 - 3 once the cafe was open; staff car.  Good occupancy of the cycle rack on the platform, and plenty of cycles for hire at the Cafe; there's good potential there - I was doubtful but chatting with the cycle hire folks at a wayside station in Somerset a couple of weeks ago, I understand they had hire out over a dozen just that day.  Which is probably twice the entire stock at Melksham!

[eXPassenger]

I was doubtful but chatting with the cycle hire folks at a wayside station in Somerset a couple of weeks ago, I understand they had hire out over a dozen just that day.  Which is probably twice the entire stock at Melksham!

If that was Yatton they have the advantage of offering a practically road free route to Cheddar on the Strawberry Line.

[grahame]

I was doubtful but chatting with the cycle hire folks at a wayside station in Somerset a couple of weeks ago, I understand they had hire out over a dozen just that day.  Which is probably twice the entire stock at Melksham!

If that was Yatton they have the advantage of offering a practically road free route to Cheddar on the Strawberry Line.

Yes, it was. Yes, they have.  Melksham is not entirely free of good cycle routes, of course - but there's a story of an opportunities there ... best taken up, perhaps, once the days are getting longer again.

[IndustryInsider]

A shame the viability of the cafe is being questioned.  It couldn’t have opened with worse timing really, but hopefully it’ll survive the winter and then a true idea of how viable it is as a business will become clearer next year.

Many coffee outlets at stations are still to open, but of course furlough payments are still apply until tomorrow.  It’ll be interesting to see home many more open from next week. 

I travelled around London extensively yesterday and the return of passengers continues at a rate that surprises me - quite a few peak hour trains out of Waterloo back to full and standing for example.

[grahame]

A shame the viability of the cafe is being questioned. ...

I don't think it was really - rather, a new council looking at all the applications for significant funding with appropriate due diligence in the spending of tax payer's money.  Some of the requests looked at were answered within the room; for others (such as this one) data supplied didn't make it clear to the councillor who's friends found it closed, and others, what the plans are to (re)open it at times of peak rail passenger demand.   

We need to bare in mind that almost all councillors use private cars to get around for the most part, and what's second nature to those of us involved in this sort of stuff for years - such as providing bus shelters on the side of the road where people wait for the bus, not across the road where they get off - is only obvious and noted once it's pointed out.  Similarly, that commuters use the station cafe while waiting for their train, and not in the middle of the day when they're at work, nor in passing in the evening when they get back off the returning train.

[grahame]

A further update - I am assured that the Cafe is now open from 07:30 every morning, Monday to Saturday - so that's in time for the busiest train of the day at 07:53; better that 08:30, not quite 07:00 which would also let it cover the second busiest train of the day at 07:20, but a step in the right direction.  Clearly a change from Tuesday morning when I took my pictures that accompany the blog article.

Web site still says "WE ARE OPEN MONDAY, TUESDAY, THURSDAY AND FRIDAY 8.30 AM – 4.30 PM. WEDNESDAY AND SATURDAY 7.30 AM – 4.30 PM. SUNDAY – CLOSED" but I understand that there are staff sickness issues effecting the web presence, and in any case the most important thing is that the facility is open when people are about.

[IndustryInsider]

Twyford car park looking over 90% full and I counted over 100 cars at Worcestershire Parkway the other week.  How’s Wokingham looking, Stuving?

[Red Squirrel]

Bristol Temple Meads was pretty busy on Sunday...

[stuving]

Twyford car park looking over 90% full and I counted over 100 cars at Worcestershire Parkway the other week.  How’s Wokingham looking, Stuving?

Clearly Wokinghamites are not the new Stakhanovites. Here's a shortened set of parked car counts, from a little before "freedom day" (edited from the last post).

Number of cars in the Wokingham Station car parks, capacity 531 (SWR^» (South Western Railway - about)) or 424 (Ringo), seen at some time during 10 am-5 pm (most often 14:30-16:30).

W/S	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Notes
5/7	-	-	60	75	49	Sat 71
12/7	50	64	74	62	31	32
19/7	51*	72	79	57	46	*"Freedom day!"
26/7	38	57	60	63	-
2/8	45	52	69	63	50
9/8	56	-	88	87	59
16/8	54	70	86	66	54
23/8	65	84	63	82	92	Sat 34
30/8	34*	47	107	-	72	Sat 85 *Bank holiday Monday
6/9	72	65	92	60	60	Sat 93
13/9	87	116	110	107	-
20/9	76	118	128	130	60	Sat 83
27/9	93	114	135	132	86
4/10	72	121*	139	140	82	Sat 122 *Now some upstairs

~ approx.
updated 8/9/21

Again, the slow drift back to going to work continues, but it is very slow - remember there are over 500 spaces (but I don't know how much of the expanded capacity was being used pre-Covid)!

There are some technical issues with the count being over 100, like cars being parked upstairs where I can't see them without a detour (more common now it's not so hot). Obviously it gets tedious too, though before that there's an accuracy issue in that I may lose track of the count partway through.

[Marlburian]

This morning at 0830 there were 19 vehicles in Tilehurst Station car park, with its capacity of 114. But then it is Monday, and it seems that a TWAT pattern has now been established. The refreshments van was quite busy. No Metros.

[IndustryInsider]

Good acronym!